Name-plate for monuments



(No Model.)

R. H. POLLENIUS.

NAME PLATE FOR MONUMENTS, 850.. No. 463,500.. Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

REIN HOLD II. FOLLENIUS,

NAM E-PLATE FOR PATENT OFFICE.

OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MONUMENTS, 840.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,500, dated November 17, 1891.

Application filed April 21', 1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, REINHOLD H. FOLl- LENIUS, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Name-Plates for Monuments, &c., of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to the combination, with a monument, of a frosted or ground glass tablet, with smooth lettering unground thereon, and a colored or quicksilvered glass reflector backing to said tablet that, reflecting through said polished unground letters, throws themin bold relief from the surrounding ground surface of the glass that clouds said reflection; and the invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a detail elevation of a monument with one of my lettered tablets secured thereto. Fig. II is an enlarged perspective back view of the tablet and shows the projected flange that when set is countersunk in the monument- Fig. III is an enlarged per spective view of the reflector back plate. Fig. IV is an enlarged vertical section taken on line IV IV, Fig. I, and shows the reflectorplate secured within the attachment-flange at the back of the tablet and said flange countersunk in the face of the monument. Fig. V is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line V V, Fig. I, and shows a detail of the locking-spring engaged in countersinks, respectively, in the flange of the tablet and in the side of the countersink of the monument 5 and Fig. VI is an enlarged vertical section taken on line VI VI, Fig. V, and shows the lock-spring secured in the joint spring-lock bed in the flange of the tablet and in the monument. Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a monument to which my tablet 2 is secured. 3 is the projected frame-rim of said tablet. 4 represents the rear attachment-flange of said tablet, which flange fits in the countersink 5 in the face of the monument.

6 represents the frosted or ground face of the tablet, and 7 are the smooth polished letters of the name.

8 represents the reflector back plate, which Serial No. 339,812. (No model.)

is preferably made of colored or silvered glass, and which reflector-plate is closely fitted against the back of the tablet within the frame-boxing formed by the attachmentflange 4, which extends rearward from the back of the tablet. The said colored or silvered glass plate reflects through the smooth lettering of the name on said tablet, which name is thus brought into bold relief as compared with the ground glass in which said smooth polished letters are embedded, which ground surface clouds or stops the reflection.

I have shown the word Mother on a small tablet; but I do not confine myself to any particular word or to the size of the tablet. The name of the person to WhOSG memory the monument is erected, with the usual accompanying dates or any other lettering, figuring, or ornamental devices, may be thus delineated and the size and shape of the tablet be made to accord therewith.

9 represents strap-lock springs whose bow centers are placed in the concave recesses 10 in the end rear attachment-flanges gt of the tablet and whose projecting lock ends 11 are seated in the locking-recesses 12, that are cut in registering position therewith in the sides of the countersink 5 in the monument. The countersink 5 is cutin the face of the monu ment in position to exactly register with the intended position of the rear attachmentflange 4 of the name-tablet, which flange is seated in said countersink, the locking-recesses 10 and 12 respectively formed in the ends of said flanges and in the sides of said countersinks registeringwith each other. The face of the monument within the countersink 5 is chiseled or cut out to the thickness of the reflector-plate 8 to form the bed-room 13 for said plate, the back of which bed-room provides a stay for the back of the reflectorplate to hold it firmly against the lettered tablet. IVhen the tablet is about to be inserted in its countersink attachment-seat, the reflector-plateS is inserted within the flangeboxing 4.- of said tablet, and if said reflectorplate is silvered the silver side is placed so that when the tablet isinserted said silvered side rests against its bed-room backing 13. The bow-centers of the strap-lock springs 9 are then inserted in the concave recesses 10 in the ends of the attachment-flanges 4, and

the attachmentflanges 4: have given to them their initial entrance into the countersinks-5 in the face of the monument until the projecting lock ends 11 of the springs 9 come in contact with the faces of the countersinks. Thin push-plates of anysuitable construction, such as wide dull thin chisels whose faces will respectively embrace both projecting lock ends in each case of the springs, and by any such suitable tools for the purpose the said lock ends are sprung back until the said rear attachment-flanges 4 of the tablet are sufliciently inserted for said lock ends of the springs to commence to enter their lockingrecesses 12 in the sides of the countersinks 5. The thin dull chisels or any other such suitable tools that have been used to retire the locking ends 11 of the springs are then withdrawn and the locking-springs in righting themselves and springing into their lockingrecesses 12 in the sides of the countersinksin the face of the monument bringthe shoulders 14: of the laterally-projecting flange edges of the tablet snug against the face of the monument. The projecting ends 11 of the springs, when once sprunginto the locking-recesses 12 in the side of the countersinks 5 in the menument, make a permanent lock that can never be unlocked thereafter either by authorized or unauthorized parties. The name-tablets are thus securely locked to their seats on the face of the monument and protected against the effects of the weather and also against the intrusion of pilferers.

By the use of colored or silvered glass in the reflector back plate the contrast of the reflection through the transparent polished letters of the tablet to that of the surrounding ground glass in which they are embedded intensifies the view of the lettering and also adds to its beauty. The glass of the tablet and of the reflector-plate being as imperishable as the marble or granite of the monument, it effects a lasting memorial of the inscription. There is a tight joint between the tablet and monument, and, if preferred, the joint maybe still further tightened by cement.

It will be seen that when, as is generally the case, the name-tablet or grave-mark is attached 011 an inclined or bevel surface of the monument, &c., the reflector-glass plate will be projected, as shown in Figs. IV and V, at a higher level or incline than the surrounding portion of the tablet, and thus all danger of water working in between the reflectorplate and the lettering is avoided.

I do not confine the useof this name tablet for monuments only, as it is evident it is adapted, and it is also intended to be used as name and number marks on houses, streetcoruers, (KEG.

I have shown and described polished transparent lettering on a frosted or ground-glass field on the glass tablet; but said arrangement may be reversed and frosted lettering may thus be shown on apolished transparent field.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the monument or object to be marked having the channel transverse to its face and a recess in the channel- Wall, of the tablet having suitable transparent characters, a flange on said tablet adapted to fit in the channel in the object and a recess in the flange, the reflector or backing adapted to fit within the flange on the tablet and form a back for the transparent characters, and a locking device adapted to engage the respective recesses, as explained.

52. The combination of the monument or obj ect to be marked having a channel transverse to 'the surface to which the tablet is to be applied and a transverse recess in the wall of said channel and the tablet havingatransverse flange adapted to lit in the said channel, and a compressible spring secured at a point on the face of the flange, which corresponds to the said recess formed in the wall of said channel and adapted to spring into the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a combined monument and grave mark, the combination of the monument provided with the countersink 5 in its face and the re- 9 cesses 13 from said face within said countersinks, the name-tablet 2, the said tablet having the smooth polished letters or figures 7 and ground surrounding surface 6, and the back attachment-flange 4, which flange fits in said countersink 5 in the face of the monument, and the glass reflector-plate 8, that fits within the flange-frame at at the back of the tablet and rests against the recess-bed 13 in the face of said monument, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a combined monument and grave mark, the combination of the monument provided with the countersinks 5 in its face and the recesses 13 from said face within said countersinkand provided with the locking-recesses12, adjoining said countersinks, the glass nametablet 2, the said tablet having the smooth polished letters or figures 7 exhibited on its face within an embedment of ground glass, the reflector-glass back plate 8, that reflects through said letters or figures, the tablethaving the rear attachment-flange at, the said flange fitting into the countersink 5 in the face of the monument, theends of said flanges being provided with the concave recesses 10, and the strap-springs 9, whose bows fit in said concaves and whose projecting lock ends engage in the locking-recesses 12 to snap-lock the tablet to the face of the monument, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

REINIIOLD I-I. FOLLENIUS.

In presence of-- BENJN. A. KNIGHT, SAML. KNIGHT. 

